Ambulance case: Second accused did not work at Ministry of Health during establishment of and payment under letters of credit

There was consternation at a Financial and Economic Court on Tuesday, when Counsel for Dr Sylvester Anemana, who the state has accused of “facilitating” the establishment of letters of credit in favour of Big Sea General Trading Limited of Dubai for the supply of ambulances, revealed that his client could not have facilitated the establishment of such an LC because at the time the said LC was established, he was no longer in the employment of the Ministry of Health.

The prosecution had claimed in its particulars of offense accompanying count two of the charges against Dr Anemana, that “between August 2014 and April 2016,” Dr Anemana “abetted Cassiel Ato Forson to willfully cause Financial loss of EUR 2,370,000 to the Republic by facilitating” the “authorization” of letters of credit in favour of Big Sea General Trading Limited of Dubai.

This claim was effectively shot down by Counsel for Dr Anemana, Owiredu Danquah, when he revealed during cross examination of the second prosecution witness, Edward Markwei, that Dr Anemana was transferred from the Ministry of Health by a letter dated 19th February, 2013, over one whole year before the request for the LC was made and as such could not possibly have been the officer designated to work on the approval of documents and authorization for payment to Big Sea on behalf of the Ministry of Health.

Documents presented by the prosecution to the court show, that the LC in question was established in August 2014 at a time when the second accused was not an official of the Ministry of Health following his transfer.

Mr. Markwei had explained at the last sitting of the court, that as applicants under the LC, it was the Ministry of Health that had the mandate to approve documentation presented by Big Sea and give authorization for payments to be made.

During further cross-examination, Mr. Markwei who is Head of Trade Finance Unit at the Bank of Ghana, admitted that as far as he knew, there was no correspondence between Dr Anemana and the Bank of Ghana in respect of the establishment of the LC or payments under it.

Mr. Markwei further admitted that there was also no correspondence between Dr Anemana and Dr Forson during the said transaction.

Source: TNR